Manny: snappin' necks and cashin' checks; Rasheed: gettin' paid, gettin' laid, and gettin' blazed

on 06 18, 2009

There are some people you can look at, and given their attitude and body language, tell they just don’t give a damn. In the sports world, there are a handful of current athletes who fit this mold. Most of these types of players have negative results; however, a few have managed to master their bad boy attitude while achieving success. Two notable athletes who have experienced success while maintaining the ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude, starting with my personal favorite:

Manny Ramirez:

Manny’s top priority? Snappin’ necks and cashin’ checks. Manny wanted out of Boston, and in order to get his wish, he committed a sin in professional sports when he literally stopped trying. Authority? That’s a foreign term to the future HOF outfielder. Who can forget what he told the Dodgers after denying $25 million for one year…”the price of gas is up and so am I.” Manny made it clear he wasn’t unleaded…instead he was the premium diesel. Eventually the price of gas went down and Manny settled on a 2 year/45 million dollar contract. When arriving in LA, Joe Torre nicely asked Manny to cut his dreads. Ramirez responded by trimming his dreadlocks about an inch. What kind of request is that anyway? Cut the dreads off Manny and you might as well castrate him too. On the field, Manny effortlessly jogs around left field in his baggy uniform with that ‘Manny being Manny’ swag, but that doesn’t hinder his baseball abilities. Same goes for his play at the plate. Manny has one of the best swings in baseball and looks so graceful doing it. His style of play is like an art form. Manny is one of the few players whose success is not encumbered by his egotistical manner. Throughout his career, Manny has made 12 All-Star appearances and has won 2 World Series. Bottom line, Manny Ramirez is the man.

Rasheed Wallace:

‘Sheeds main concerns? Gettin’ paid, gettin’ laid and gettin’ blazed, in no particular order. There aren’t many players who give less of a damn than ‘Sheed in the NBA. Technical foul? It’s nothing. Sheed eats those up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Coincidently, announcers used to refer to him as a ‘Walking Technical Foul.’

Wallace holds the record for most T’s in a season with 41 in 2000-2001, and prides himself on getting Td up. You can tell Rasheed just wants to finish the game up so he can go hit his 6 footer and twist up some Swishers. Now that I think about it, Sheed probably intentionally gets Td up twice in the same game so he can start the puffing festivities early. Conversely, Wallace claims his Technicals are in retaliation. One of my favorite Rasheed quotes…“I’m not going to start the game by cracking a cat in the skull if I don’t get elbowed first.” The current Pistons center/power forward is a 4 time all star and has a championship under his belt. He has definitely been a productive player, but his attitude has certainly prevented him from reaching his maximum potential. Sir Charles Barkley stated that Rasheed Wallace has the ability to be the “best player in the NBA.”

Other noteworthy athletes who should’ve taken notes from Manny and Rasheed:

Stephon Marbury:

It should come as no surprise that Starbury made this list. How could he not? Starbury’s better known for his off-court issues than his basketball achievements, or lack there of. Marbury pretty much singlehandedly got Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas fired from their head coaching duties as a result of his approach on life and the game of basketball. After Mike D’Antoni took over head coaching duties and held open competition, Marbury was outplayed by Chris Duhon. He was eventually banned from Knicks practices and games, but did anyone really expect him to go out quietly? In response to the ban, Starbury purchased a ticket for a courtside seat and showed up to a New York road game. You can’t tell Stephon what he can and can not do, are you crazy? Marbury’s mind-set, along with other factors, has helped secure his career as a bust.

Travis Henry:

Tested positive for marijuana twice. Involved in a multi-kilogram cocaine transaction. Father of at least 11 children with 10 baby mamas. Need I say more?

Pacman Jones:

If you don’t know why Pacman’s name is here, you have probably been living under a rock the last few years. This list could go on for awhile, but you get the idea. Most bigheaded athletes who do what they want without worrying about the consequences typically don’t triumph, but the ones that do are unique and extremely entertaining to watch.

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